Grassroots to Grasstops: Investing in your mission to land in a nonprofit field of dreams
As an avid advocate of advocacy-based causes (say that 3 times fast!), Michele's advice for nonprofits looking for funding is to lead by example: invest the resources you have available in the same way that you're asking funders to invest in your mission. Rather than stretching your own programming budget, find a counterpart in advocating for your cause and strike up a collaboration. And Michele's number-one must-have is a healthy link between your theory of change and your programs. Michele's story hits differently than most—being born with metatrophic dysplasia, a rare form of dwarfism, she's had every reason to be thrown off course by life's obstacles. But instead of being knocked down, Michele has looked up and treated every experience as an opportunity, smashing through that glass ceiling and becoming the first female president of the Caterpillar Foundation. Michele and Justin Wheeler, CEO and Co-founder of Funraise, touch on the things that foundations like Caterpillar look for in investment-worthy nonprofits, ways to communicate the value of your cause, and the best way to present a nonprofit story that resonates with both donors and funders. So, dive with us into grassroots strategies and then come up for a birds-eye view of grasstops results, as we weave the two into a nonprofit field of dreams. And if you want to hear more from Michele, go to LookingUp.com!